Ellis M. Stanley Sr., CEM, vice president and director of western emergency management services in Dewberry's Los Angeles location, has been named chair of the Disasters Roundtable of the National Academy of Sciences.

Stanley has more than 30 years of experience directing emergency management programs, including ten years as general manager for the Los Angeles Emergency Preparedness Department. He has overseen emergency management planning for major events nationwide, including the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta and the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver.

The Disasters Roundtable (DR) facilitates the exchange of ideas among scientists, practitioners, and policymakers to identify important issues related to the understanding and mitigation of natural, public health, technological, and other disasters. The DR is a unit of the Division of Earth and Life Studies in the National Academy's National Research Council.

"Unprecedented events demand unique leadership," says Stanley. "The Disasters Roundtable is positioned to address the challenges leaders face when working through a crisis and help move beyond the ‘silo mentality' to build connectivity across organizations and sectors. As the country focuses on building a resilient nation we understand that we must begin at the most fundamental level and that is the local level. Resiliency must be about growing through challenges and not simply about bouncing back."

Stanley was also recently named chair of the Earthquake Country Alliance Executive Steering Committee. His role on the board of the Earthquake Country Alliance in California has included helping to launch and expand the state's widely successful annual earthquake drill, "The Great California ShakeOut." This year's ShakeOut, scheduled for October 20, is anticipated to involve as many as ten million citizens.

Stanley also serves on the board of directors for the National Institute of Urban Search and Rescue, is a board member for the Disaster Recovery Institute International, and is a member of Operation Hope, Inc. and the American Red Cross of Greater Los Angeles.

Stanley earned a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. He received an honorary doctoral degree for public service from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES). He is currently on the faculty at Harvard University, teaching meta-leadership; and is teaching senior crisis management at American University to leaders from around the globe.